Love Me Back | Jikook ✔️

Chapter 4

The next morning, their dorm was still quiet. Jimin, despite his weakening condition, had forced himself to get up early and push through another day. As the others went about their routines, Namjoon, Jin and Hoseok found a moment to catch up in the living room.

"I’m really worried about Jimin," Namjoon admitted, his brow furrowed with concern. "He keeps saying he's fine, but it’s clear he’s not."

Jin nodded. "I know. It’s like he’s hiding something from us. But no matter how much we push, he just puts up that smile and brushes it off."

Meanwhile, sitting on the sofa, Hoseok was casually browsing the internet on his phone, hoping to find something to distract him from the stress that had been building up.

As he scrolled through various websites, he stumbled upon an article about rare diseases. One headline caught his attention: "The Mysterious Hanahaki Disease: Too Much Love Can Kill".

Hoseok clicked on the link out of curiosity. As he read through the description, his interest turned to confusion and then to shock. The symptoms listed, coughing up petals, chest pain, weakness, and pale complexion...sounded eerily familiar.

"This can’t be real," he muttered to himself, scrolling further. "But... it matches everything Jimin's been going through."

His heart pounded as realization dawned on him. The weight of what he was reading hit him like a bus. Jimin wasn’t just exhausted or stressed; he was suffering from something much more severe and potentially deadly.

Hoseok's mind raced. How had he not seen it before? The petals, the coughing fits Jimin tried so hard to hide, his growing plant within him, it all made sense now.

He felt a mixture of fear and urgency wash over him. He needed to tell the others, but he also needed a moment to process this himself.

He looked up from his phone, glancing over at Namjoon and Jin, who were deep in conversation. Taking a deep breath, he decided it was best to gather his thoughts first.

"Excuse me, hyungs," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "I need to check something in my room."

Namjoon looked up, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "Everything okay, Hoseok?"

Hoseok forced a smile, hoping to mask the turmoil inside him. "Yeah, just remembered something I need to take care of. I’ll be back in a bit."

Jin watched as Hoseok hurriedly left the room, his expression thoughtful. "Do you think he’s okay? He seemed a bit off."

Namjoon shrugged, but a sense of unease settled over him. "I don't know. First Jimin, and now Hoseok acting strange. Something’s definitely up."

In the privacy of his room, Hoseok sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his phone. He felt a deep sense of panic and urgency. He needed to confirm his suspicions and figure out how to approach Jimin about it without causing him more distress.

Taking a deep breath, Hoseok opened the article again and re-read it, making sure he hadn’t missed anything. The more he read, the more convinced he became.

This was it. Jimin was suffering from hanahaki disease, a rare and dangerous condition fueled by unrequited love.

He felt his heart ache for Jimin, understanding the immense pain he must be going through, both physically and emotionally.

But now that he knew, he couldn’t just sit by and do nothing. He had to help Jimin, even if it meant confronting him and risking their friendship.

Hoseok stood up, his resolve strengthening. He knew he had to act quickly. There was no time to waste. With a concern expression, he left his room, ready to find a way to help his friend.